Strand type suspenders



Aug. 4, 1964 A. MURRAY STRAND TYPE SUSPENDERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 4, 1961 F/GZ INVZ'WTOR. ALAN E. MURRAY ATTORNEYS.

1964 A. E. MURRAY 3,142,844

STRAND TYPE SUSPENDERSY Filed April 4, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG 4INVENTOR.

ALAN E. MURRAY= ATTORNEYS! United States Patent Filed Apr. 4, 1961, 581.No. 100,673 4 Claims. (U. 2-326) This invention relates to new forms ofsuspender and belt devices for supporting trousers or other clotheswhich drape down from the waist.

Clothes of this type are conventionally supported either by belts ofrelatively inelastic material or by suspenders made from rectangularstrips of material which rest on the shoulders of the wearer. In bothcases there is an objectionable constriction or pressure on the bodywhich can eventually cause severe discomfort, particularly to those whoengage in sustained vigorous body movements as, for example, athletesand dancers. The problem has existed for some time and received little,if any, attention to date.

I have now discovered certain forms of suspenders and belts which may beused to support clothes of the type described without the slightesttendency of discomfort or restriction of the body. My results stem fromthe fact that in the devices of my invention, controlled inherenttension is applied against the body in a particular configuration orarrangement which takes into account the difference between the degreeof movement in certain parts of the body as compared to others and thecapability of such parts to better withstand pressure than the others.More specifically, the devices of my invention utilize the importantfact that the parts of the human body located along central verticallines extending up from the waist along the front and back of the trunkmake smaller and fewer movements during normal human activities thanother parts such as the arms, shoulders and lateral portions of thewaist. Furthermore, these central parts have a better capability ofwithstanding pressure since they are primarily comprised of rigid bonenear the surface of the body as, for example, the sternum and spinalcolumn. Thus, by applying controlled tension almost exclusively againstthese parts, the structures of my invention provide adequate support forclothes in a manner which is least restrictive of body movements andleast discomfortable to the wearer. Furthermore, means are provided foradjusting the tension in the suspenders and belts after they have beendonned so that the wearer can fit the structures to his own taste forevery occasion of body activity. By such adjustments it is possible tooptimize the fit to the point where the wearer is virtually unaware ofthe presence of the devices on and around his body.

Briefly stated, the suspender devices of my invention compriseindividual strands of elastic material which are positioned singly or ina group around the neck and down the central portions of the front andback of the trunk, terminating at the waist in clips, hooks, or othermeans for attachment to clothes. The strands of material are held inposition along the central portions of the trunk by keepers which gatherthe strands together below the neck and are slid'able for purposes ofadjusting tension. Preferably the structure is made from three separateparts consistin of a closed main loop of strands, to opposite sides ofwhich two additional sets of strands carrying the attachment means arejoined. However, this is not ac tually necessary md two sets of strands,not joined together, except for the keepers, may be employed.

The belt devices of my invention also comprise strands of elasticmaterial which, singly or in a group, are positioned around the wearerswaist. The primary function of the belt is not one of support as thetrousers, for example, of the wearer are mainly supported by thesuspenders. The belt is required, however, to complement 3,142,844Patented Aug. 4, I964 the support of the suspenders in the sense ofapplying slight tension against the lateral portions of the trousers tomaintain these portions in loose, comfortable engagement with thewearers waist. The belt also has one or more slidable keepers whichpermits adjustment of the tension therein according to the wearersdesire.

One important point in the devices of my invention is that the elasticmaterial is used in the form of individual strands, either singly or ina group, which are not permanently joined together as in a rope or wovencloth. Thus, a portion of a suspender device may comprise -a singlestrand of elastic material or a plurality of strands but in all cases,except for the slidable keepers or certain points where one set ofstrands must be joined to another, the separate and distinct entity ofeach strand is preserved. I have found that freedom on the part of eachstrand to become stretched or tensioned independently of the others isan important factor although I do not now fully understand the reasonsfor this. Thus, it will be understood that reference to a group ofstrands means a plurality of separate individual strands which may bejoined to other strands at discrete points as by slidable keepers orpermanently but which otherwise are maintained separate and independentof each other.

As to the actual material which I employ, this may be any strand ofmaterial which has elasticity or may be stretched. Many types of suchstrands are available oommercially, some of which comprise a core ofrubber or other elastomeric material around which a thread of cotton orother relatively inelastic textile material is spun or woven. In othercases a core of inelastic textile material is enoircled by rubber orsimilar material. The specific type of material is not important as Ican use any strand of elastic material which has sufiicient strength tosupport the particular clothes at hand.

Since the front portions of my suspender devices are visible when wornunder a jacket, they are well suited to serve in place of conventionalneckties and furthermore, provide an entirely unique appearance. Thestrands of the device can have intricate stitch patterns and be held inplace with ornate slidable keepers such as embossed metal plaques,carved wooden rings and similar decorative pieces. Thus, it is possibleto provide artistic designs of great variety in the device itself sothat the invention in effect makes possible a new form of clothingaccessory of high esthetic appeal.

While I have now briefly described the invention in terms of strands ofelastic material, it is also possible, though much less preferred, toemploy tapes or rectangular strips of elastic material in place of thestrands. In such case it is necessary to provide at least one adjustmentmeans in the yoke portion of the suspenders and in the belt to controland adjust tension therein. The adjustment means in the yoke portion ofthe suspenders is less conveniently located for use than the meansprovided in devices made with strands and for this reason I prefer tomake my devices with separate strands as described above. However, I donot intend to preclude the use of tapes or rectangular strips of elasticmaterial from anything contained in this specification as thesematerials can also be used to form operable devices within the scope ofmy invention.

Further details of my invention will be readily understood by referenceto the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodimentsthereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a suspender device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same device while being worn.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of suspender device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of an attachment means.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a belt device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another modified form of suspender device.

Turning to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a preferred form of suspender deviceis there shown in which there is a main loop 16 formed with fourseparate strands of elastic material. Opposite sides 11 of this loop areeach passed through a keeper 12 which may be a ring formed from metal,wood, leather, or other material. To one side 11 of the loop 14 there isjoined a second group of strands of elastic material 14 by theattachment means 13. The group of strands 14 is preferably made with twostrands. This group of strands also is encircled by a keeper 16 whichmay be the same as or different from the keepers 12. The two ends of thestrands of the group 14 are each passed through an attachment means 18and then doubled back through an additional keeper 2.0. The ends of thestrands are then knotted together as at 22 and these knots prevent theends from slipping through the keepers 20. That side of the loop whichis joined to the group of strands 14 comprises the front portion of thesuspenders.

On the opposite side of the loop 10 a group of strands of elasticmaterial 24, also made with two strands, is joined to the main loop withthe attachment means 13. This group of strands is also passed through akeeper 2 6 similar to keeper 16 in the front portion of the suspender.The terminal ends of the strands in group 24 are joined to attachmentmeans 18.

As shown in FIG. 2 the suspender structure of FIG. I is worn by placingthe loop 10 around the neck and then attaching the attachment means 18to the trousers or other clothes to be supported. Initially, the lengthof the suspender and the tension therein can be adjusted by the group ofstrands numbered 14. The ends of these strands can be moved upwardly ordownwardly to shorten or lengthen their overall length as measuredbetween the attachment means 13 and 18 and this increases or decreasesthe initial tension in the device. The strands are maintained in theselected position by the keepers 29. The upper keeper 20 is pushed upagainst the knot 22 and the lower keeper 20 is pushed down against theattachment means 18 to maintain the terminal portions of the strandsdoubled back to any desired length. Finer adjustments in tension maythen be made by the keeper i2 which increases the degree of stretchingin the strands of the loop 10 by controlling the length of the strandsas measured from each side of the neck down to the point Where the loop10 is joined to the group of strands 14-. The dotted lines represent theshortest length when keeper 12 is slid down to the lowest point of theloop 10 and the strands are least stretched. The full lines show thekeeper 12 in its uppermost position Where the length of the strands isthe greatest so that the strands, in stretching across this maximumlength, give the maximum tension. Adjustment of tension may also be madeby moving the second keeper 12 upwardly or downwardly along the spinalcolumn of the wearer as described for the front keeper 12.

FIG. 3 shows a modified form of suspender device. In this embodiment themain loop 19 is closed only at one side as at 28 and the opposite sideof the loop 10 opens into separate terminal ends as at St). Four strandsof material are used on each side of the loop 10. The open ends 30 ofthe loop are passed through two keepers 31 and then joined to theattachment means 32. These keepers 30 and attachment means 32 may besimilar to or different from the corresponding parts in the device ofFIG. 1. The closed side of the loop it? in the device of FIG. 3 isjoined to a group of strands 33 made up of four individual strands. Theends of this group of strands are passed through the keeper 34 and thenare knotted as at 36 at spaced intervals. In using this form of devicethe knots 36 provide means for adjusting the initial length of thesuspenders by hooking them to suitable attachment means provided on theback of the trousers or other i clothes to be supported. The knotsnearest the ends of the strands will give the greatest length and leastinitial tension while the knots farthest from the ends will give theshortest length and the maximum initial tension. in this form of devicethe two keepers 31 provide means for fine adjustment of tension which ismore flexible than that of the device of FIG. 1 since both the upper andlower points, where the groups of strands are gathered together to causestretching, may be varied in location according to the wearers desire.

FIG. 4 illustrates one form of attachment means which may be used forjoining the ends of the suspenders to the trousers or other clothes tobe supported and for joining one group of strands in a suspender deviceto another group. The attachment means comprises a rod of metal or otherflexible material which is bent into an S-curve with one loop of thecurve being continued into a circle to provide a closed loop. This formof attachment means can be made of any desired dimension by a simplebending operation and is the means I prefer to employ. However, otherknown means of attachment such as clips, snap-fasteners, or eyelets maybe used.

FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred form of belt device. This devicecomprises two main strands of elastic material which are folded in halfat 38 to form one end of the belt. The two strands forming one side ofthe fold are then passed through the closed loop of an attachment means4% similar to the one shown in FIG. 4 except that the open loop of theS-curve is substantially closed. The attachment means 40 is then slippedup to the fold 38. All four strands are then permanently joined togetherjust behind the attachment means as by sewing in order to hold theattachment means in place at the fold 38. The opposite ends of the fourstrands are then passed through the loop of a second attachment means42, then doubled back and passed through a slidable keeper 44.

.The ends of the four strands projecting out behind the keeper 4-!- maybe sewn together or knotted as desired. The keeper 44 provides a way foradjusting the tension in the belt by holding the doubled back portion ofthe strands in this position at any desired length. The tension in thebolt is adjusted to just complement the support of the suspenders, thatis, suificient tension is developed to maintain the trousers or otherclothes being supported in loose engagement with the waist of thewearer. No greater tension than this is needed since the clothes arevirtually wholly supported by the suspender device and as a result, anobjectionable constriction of the wearers waist is entirely avoided.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of Suspender device in which twogroups of strands of elastic material 46 are employed and each group ispreferably made of four separate strands. Four keepers 48 are employedto hold the two groups of strands together along the front and backportion of the body, two of the keepers being positioned on the frontportion and the other two on the back portion. Both ends of each groupof strands are joined to attachment means 59 which may be of the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 or any other suitable type. In thisembodiment, the keepers 48, positioned in the front and back of thebody, are slidable and may be located in various positions to controlthe tension in the suspender. If desired, the ends of the two groups ofstrands may be knotted and retained in doubled-over position by means ofadditional keepers, similar to the keepers 2t? shown in FIG. 1, in orderto provide means for controlling the initial tension in the device. Theknotted form of structure may be used for the ends of the strands at thefront or back portion of the device or for both. Many additionalmodifications and combinations of parts of the various devices will beobvious to those skilled in the art.

All of the embodiments of the invention hereinabove described employmore than one strand of elastic material. However, it is also possibleto use only a single strand in both the suspender and belt and achievesatisfactory results, particularly when the clothes are of alight-weight nature. Furthermore, it will be noted that the specificnumber of strands in some parts of the structures can differ from thenumber in other parts. This provides additional means for controllingthe inherent tension of the structures on a differential basis which mayadd to the comfort of the particular wearer. In general, I prefer to useabout two to six strands of material in the various parts of thesuspender and belt devices. Also, the keepers in the front portion ofthe suspender or belt may be of a decorative nature to add to theattractiveness of the devices. If the wearer desires to present aconventional appearance then a front keeper havinga necktie attachedthereto may be used in the front portion of the Suspender. Alsoadditional ornaments or decorative pieces can be added to the keeper inany desired combination.

It will be understood that it is intended to cover all changes andmodifications of the preferred embodiment of the invention herein chosenfor the purpose of illustration which do not depart from the spirit andscope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting clothes in position around the waist whichcomprises a closed loop of elastic strand material, at least twoslidable keeper means spaced apart from each other and holding portionsof said loop adjacent each other, the portions of the loop intermediatesaid spaced keeper means being adapted to engage in part the sides ofthe wearers neck, the remaining portions of said loop being adapted toextend down substantially the center of the front and back of the trunkof a body along substantially vertical lines, at least one strand ofelastic material attached to each of the portions of said loop extendingbeyond said spaced keeper means, said strands of second-mentionedelastic material each having two terminal ends, and means positioned atsaid terminal ends for attachment to the clothes being supported.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which at least one slidablekeeper means is positioned in each of said strands of second-mentionedelastic material.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the terminal ends ofsaid strand of said second-mentioned elastic material in the front ofthe trunk are folded back from the attachment means, at least twoslidable keeper means holding each of the terminal ends in foldedposition and a knot positioned in the folded portion of each of theterminal ends extending out from the slidable keeper means.

4. A device for supporting clothes which comprises at least one strandof elastic material folded in half to form a loop, each of the halfportions of said looped strand being adapted to engage in part one sideof the wearers neck and to extend down substantially the center of thefront and back of the trunk of a body along substantially verticallines, the terminal ends of said looped strand adapted to be positionednear the waist along the front of the trunk and the fold of said loopedstrand adapted to be positioned near the waist along the back of thetrunk, at least one slidable keeper means for holding the half portionsof said looped strand adjacent each other along the back of the trunk,at least two slidable keeper means for holding the half portions of saidlooped strand adjacent each other along the front of the trunk, meanspositioned at the terminal ends of said looped strand for attachment tothe clothes being supported, at least one additional strand of elasticmaterial attached to the fold of said looped strand and adapted to belocated along the back of the trunk, said additional strand of elasticmaterial having two terminal ends, at least one slidable keeper meansholding portions of said additional strand adjacent each other and aplurality of knots positioned in each of the terminal ends of saidadditional strand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS558,268 Erlanger Apr. 14, 1896 619,006 Wurgler Feb. 7, 1899 696,842Phelps Apr. 1, 1902 824,907 Cleveland July 3, 1906 1,481,770 Winter Jan.22, 1924 1,599,011 Hohn Sept. 7, 1926 2,436,581 Lazare Feb. 24, 19482,440,982 Speller et a1. May 4, 1948 2,677,488 Prusan May 4, 19542,777,134 Kaufman Jan. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,230 Great Britain Nov.16, 1886 749,879 Great Britain June 6, 1956

1. A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING CLOTHES IN POSITION AROUND THE WAIST WHICH COMPRISES A CLOSED LOOP OF ELASTIC STRAND MATERIAL, AT LEAST TWO SLIDABLE KEEPER MEANS SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER AND HOLDING PORTIONS OF SAID LOOP ADJACENT EACH OTHER, THE PORTIONS OF THE LOOP INTERMEDIATE SAID SPACED KEEPER MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE IN PART THE SIDES OF THE WEARER''S NECK, THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF SAID LOOP BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER OF THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE TRUNK OF A BODY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LINES, AT LEAST ONE STRAND OF ELASTIC MATERIAL ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE PORTIONS OF SAID LOOP EXTENDING BEYOND SAID SPACED KEEPER MEANS, SAID STRANDS OF SECOND-MENTIONED ELASTIC MATERIAL EACH HAVING TWO TERMINAL ENDS, AND MEANS POSITIONED AT SAID TERMINAL ENDS FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE CLOTHES BEING SUPPORTED. 